Never Forgotten
by Titled Heart
Summary: You never forget the loves of the heart, no matter how hard you try. Kagome never did try that hard...but did he? Was he able to do the impossible with those eyes he saw everyday staring at him? KS
1. Chapter 1

_The last time I spent so much time writing fics…I promised myself to never start posting before the fic was complete, since it took me almost a year to finish my first one. But…I just couldn't help it. I had to go ahead and start posting this one to make sure it's good…meh…_

_

* * *

_

_Never Forgotten_

_By: **Artemis**_

_

* * *

_

_**Chapter One**_

_

* * *

"****__Give up, Kagome."_

_**Said girl turned swiftly away from the guards before her to gaze into a pair of cold green eyes.**_

"**_He's forgotten all about you since I've been around." The woman's eyes narrowed in a sadistic-type of joy._**

"**_He would never forget me, neither of them would!" Kagome shot back, already feeling the familiar burning sensation behind her eyes. Her keen sense of hearing picked up the padding of small feet behind them._**

"**_Mommy!" A small boy flew past her and into the arms of the cruel woman. A tear made its trail down her cheek as she watched the boy and woman._**

"**_Umi…what did--how?" She choked back a sob, her voice catching on every word._**

"**_Ah…how easily young minds are swayed, don't you think, Kagome-dear?" Umi smiled cruelly over the silver-haired child's head. He gazed at Kagome with interested stormy grey eyes._**

"**_Mommy? Who's the strange lady?"_**

_

* * *

_Kagome shot forward, her blanket pooling at her waist. She quickly wiped her face of tears and sweat before looking around at the drawings that covered her walls. 

"Momma?" She saw a flash of silver before the air was knocked out of her. She looked up into a pair of concerned golden eyes. "Is something wrong?"

Kagome gazed into the familiar eyes. 'Sesshomaru…' The name whispered across her mind, her eyes pricking with tears. She blinked once before responding to her daughter's question.

"I just had a bad dream, sweetie." She smiled comfortingly. "Is something wrong with you?" The small adolescent grinned slyly.

"I just couldn't sleep without one of my mother's beautiful bed-time stories." The girl held up a piece of paper with an elaborate drawing of a battle. Demons scattered all around two men, one with white hair, the other with black. Kagome drew breath. "I wanna hear this one again, momma."

"Okay, Aya." Kagome smiled sadly as her daughter climbed underneath her comforter and snuggled next to her. She drew another shaky breath and began the tale of pain and heartache, the tale of her life.

_

* * *

_"Hey sweet thang!" Kagome laughed as she heard the familiar voice of her foreign best friend. 

"Hey, Aidan." He smiled with his boyish charm as she ruffled his auburn hair.

Aidan Loman was a college degree linguist from Ireland. She had met him while she was going to college and they had become fast friends. She had taught him random things he didn't know in Japanese while he gave her the basics of English, Gaelic, Latin, French, German, and Russian. He also gave her someone to confide in. He knew everything she had gone through in Feudal Japan, and he kept her sane with his cheery and optimistic demeanor.

"Think you she's enjoying herself?" Aidan turned his grey eyes towards an open window beside them. Aya was dancing around with her friends, a bright pink tiara resting on top of her head, and a banner above her reading '_HAPPY BIRTHDAY'_.

"I sure hope so." Kagome sighed as she gazed up on her 13 year old daughter. "She made me tell her the story again last night, and she drew a picture of him." She said quietly, a small sad smile planting itself onto her face. Aidan drew her into a hug and patted her back.

"You've got to tell her eventually, you can't keep hurting yourself like this. It's been, what, 13 years?" He said in his rare serious tone of voice. She pulled back away from him and nodded lightly.

"I know, but I don't want to. She's so happy…and I think she would honestly believe I'm mental." She laughed, and what a sad, hollow laugh it was. Aidan sighed once more and rolled his eyes.

"Well, let's not keep away from your beautiful creation for much longer. She might start to think something's going on between the two of us." He winked jovially, making Kagome smile and hit him.

"As if she would ever believe _that_. She knows better." She glanced at the well-house that sat not but twenty feet away. "You know what? I think I'll be inside in a minute.

Aidan shrugged. "Suit yourself, I'll go tell the birthday girl."

_

* * *

_"It's her birthday today, you know. She's thirteen. It's just too bad you're not here to see it…I wish you were." Kagome said quietly, sitting on the lip of the well, looking into the black depths below her feet. "I wish you could see what we made…I wish I could see Juro again…I wish for so many things that I can't have…" 

She sighed sadly, a tear dripping into the oblivion that sat under her feet. She had closed the well so many years before, sealing away its magic, just in case anyone decided to be too curious. Even if she had wanted to go back to that time, she wouldn't be able to.

"Kagomeeeeee!" Her eyes widened as she was pushed, face first, into the well of her nightmares. She closed them to drown out the blinding blue light that wasn't supposed to be surrounding her. She clenched her teeth in anger as she felt the cold dirt beneath her.

"Aidan! Damnit!" She yelled, looking at the dazed man next to her. She looked up in curiosity before punching the side of the well wall. "This wasn't supposed to happen! It's supposed to be closed!" She screamed in annoyance, more to herself than anyone else.

"Kagome…what's going on?"

_

* * *

_"It's time you took some responsibilities. You're getting older, and I've decided to leave it up to you to survey all of our territory and report back to me if anything is amiss." Two men sat across from each other, a table in between them. They were identical, down to the last eyelash, except for one thing. One had golden eyes, the other had stormy grey. 

"Yes, father." The younger with the grey eyes stood up, bowed respectfully, and turned to leave. "I'll not let you down."

Golden eyes gazed into the back of his son's silver head. "I know, son." He said quietly as the shoji screen closed behind his heir.

_

* * *

_She jumped again. And again…and again. Each time, nothing happened. She stomped her foot once again as she jumped from the bottom of the well with an unknown agility. She glared at the auburn haired man beside her before trying once again. 

"Kagome, I don't think it wants to let us back through." He said quietly, ignoring her glares and curses. "Let's just find someplace to sleep for the night, we'll go to a village in the morning and find one of your friends…please?" He stuck out his lower lip, hoping to sway the woman who was exhausting herself with a fruitless task.

"Aidan, you don't understand!" She yelled, annoyed with his antics. "I don't want to be here! I don't want to be stuck in this place, especially without my daughter!" She stomped her foot before, giving him the image of a child throwing a tantrum over a lost toy.

"Well, there's nothing we can do about it! So just relax. We'll just get some help from those friends of yours and try again in the morning." He grabbed her by the shoulders and thrust her towards the forest that lay around them. "Lead the way." He stated.

She hung her head and made the familiar journey to the village she once called a home. The village that once accused her of being a demon…oh the irony of it all.

They silently made the trek and arrived into the small town just as the sun faded on the horizon. A man staked at the main road halted them with a spear. "State your name and your purpose. These are treacherous times, we cannot allow strangers to pass into this peaceful village."

"I'm looking for Lady Kaede. It's me, Kagome." She smiled as recognition crossed the older man's face and he smiled back, before gaining another somber expression.

"The Lady Kaede passed on last winter." He said gravely. Kagome closed her eyes in a prayer for her grandmother-figure's soul.

"Is Sango or Miroku still here then?" The hope in her voice was diminished by the man's response.

"They've gone to another village. To live out their lives with their children." He bowed his head. "I'm sorry lady Kagome. No one ever expected you to come back. We all believed you to be dead. That is what Lord Sesshomaru announced the day after the battle with Naraku."

"Do you know where the village is that my friends are in?" She asked, trying to ignore the name that was spoken.

"Somewhere in the western lands. Past the lord's castle." She nodded a thank you and turned away, only to be stopped by the man's words. "He'll be happy to know you're alive, milady."

Her eyes hardened as much as her heart did. "No he won't." she whispered, turning towards the forest to journey to her friends, hoping for an epiphany along the way.

_

* * *

__Soo…what'd ya think? I've actually been trying to write this for over a year, and I just never got around to it. The paper that I planned it out on is starting to actually crack…and that's just weird. I'll try to get out a new chapter as soon as I can, but school's starting back tomorrow (just had a break for Thanksgiving) so I won't be able to update as often as I would like. _

_Also, I like reviews. They're nice to get…and they help me get motivated to continue on with things. My other story I have going still has over 200 hits, but only 16 reviews…and that kinda puts me out a bit…Oh well, please review!_

_Loves!  
__Artemis_

_Also, just letting you guys know...I understand that there are probably some sentences in there that you may think I made a typo on...but I didn't. I went through this and proofread it, and I like to word my sentences with a medieval touch...just so you know and don't get annoyed with grammatical errors I might have made (which I'm pretty sure that there are none)_


	2. Chapter 2

_And I'm back! Yay…well…Meh, whatever. Sundays shall be my weekly posting day. I usually have too much going on during the week to even bother with the internet, and on Saturdays, I'm almost always busy going out with friends, and so…Sunday is my relaxing day (though I was supposed to go to a comic book convention with my dad…) This is a kinda short chapter…_

_

* * *

__**Never Forgotten**_

_By the ever striving for success: Artemis_

_

* * *

_

**_Chapter Two_**

_

* * *

_"This is good for tonight, we'll rough it." Kagome began gathering leaves to create a make-shift bed while Aidan groaned. 

"I want my bed…" he complained, oblivious to a very irate Kagome in his presence. Her glare was menacing and filled with a promise of immense torture if he didn't shut up.

"It's your fault we're stuck here! So quit your bitching and help me!" She crossed her arms in front of her chest as if daring him to contradict. "I'll try to start a fire if you'll pick up some wood." He let out an exaggerated sigh before disappearing behind a tree.

"I can't believe I'm stuck here." Aidan grumbled as he began picking up small twigs. "At least I know she wasn't lying all these years." He muttered ceaselessly to himself in multiple languages before being shaken out of his own mind by a swishing sound. '_But…there's no wind…'_

He looked around himself, seeing a glimpse of silver ahead of him. "Aya?" He called out. '_But why would she be here?'_

"KAGOME!" He ran back to their camp in a rush, stopping right in front of the wanted girl. "I think I saw Aya. Well, I saw silver hair, but I think it was her. Nobody else could possibly have that beautiful shade--"

Kagome jumped to her feet and walked into the forest regally. "Aya?" She called loudly, looking around for her mischievous daughter. Seeing nothing, she turned back to Aidan. "I don't think it was her. There are many demons that possess that odd coloring."

Oh how wrong she was. But that was her life, never ending irony.

_

* * *

_Unknown to anyone, a small teenage girl climbed out of an old well hidden inside a forest. She jumped out and looked around, brushing silver strands out of her amber eyes. 

"Okay…I don't think I'm in Tokyo anymore." Aya muttered to herself. She seen her mother and Aidan disappear into the well about thirty minutes before she decided to investigate why they hadn't crawled back out.

"Great…now I have no clue where I am…and I don't have momma…or food!" she whined to herself.

The smart thing to do would be to stay by the well in case her mother was somewhere nearby and decided to come back.

But when had Aya ever ignored her curiosity? Never, that's when. Even after she had been burnt by the clothing iron at the tender age of three, she still continued to investigate it. Who was she to deny herself the opportunity to explore the surround wooded area?

With her mind made up, she traveled in the direction she picked out by '_eeny-meeny-meiny-moe'_.

"Maybe I should've gone the opposite way…" She murmured after an hour of journeying. She pulled her tresses up into a long ponytail with a rubber-band and tied her jacket around her waist. "Thank Kami." She breathed as she found a small pond. She sat on a rock and scooped up a handful and slurped it down happily. "This is probably so contaminated." She laughed.

Her head shot up when she heard a twig snap a short distance away from her persons. Not wanting to be caught by some type of hunter, she ran as fast as she could in the direction she had originally been traveling.

For once, her curiosity abandoned her when it should've been there. If she had stopped to investigate the noise, she would've found her mother and also, perhaps, not run into the rock hard chest of some unknown person.

_

* * *

_He narrowed his eyes at the girl before him who was sprawled on the ground. She sat up, shook her head, and looked up at him. Her eyes widened in shock as he kept his emotion in check behind his emotionless façade he had developed. Her amber eyes, so much like his father's, stared at him, her brows coming together in thought. 

She stood and began her inspection of him, going around in circles. "Cease, human." He growled out.

"Human?" She asked in confusion. "why would you call me that? Aren't you human, too?" His grey orbs narrowed once again.

"Of course not! I'm a full inu-youkai." He stated proudly, ready for this girl to pay respect to him for his superiority in race. She raised a delicate eyebrow and began to laugh. "Human, you try my patience." He pushed her against a tree with force, placing a clawed hand at her throat. "What are you doing wandering on my lands?" He growled once again.

She pried his hand from her throat with surprising strength and began rubbing her neck. "I'm looking for my mother. She's missing."

He looked her over critically, taking in her strange clothing and remarkable appearance. She held herself as if she were a princess, with stubbornness and pride. '_She looks like father…' _He thought once again. A pain settled behind his eyes. '_He did tell me to report anything strange. What better than to bring the thing to him?'_

"Come, human."

"It's Aya…stop calling me that, it's unnerving." She crossed her arms. He quirked an eyebrow. She tapped her foot. "Well, what's your name?" She prompted.

He scoffed. "As if it would be important to you." He turned and began walking. "It's Juro. Now come with me…my father will know what to do with you." He shook his head of confusion and walked towards his home. No sleep would be allowed for them if he wanted to make it back before the night was over.

_

* * *

_"It's going to take a couple of days." Kagome pushed her way into a clearing with a stream. She wasn't in the best of moods after her restless night spent making sure no youkai were anywhere near. Though Aidan slept like a baby. 

"Too bad they haven't invented cars yet." he groaned. She had long since gotten used to his ceaseless complaints and promptly ignored him to the best of her abilities.

She remembered his claim to seeing silver hair the night before. '_It could have been him…or even Juro. I bet Aya is so worried right now.'_ She looked at the disappearing sun and sighed, time to make camp for another sleepless night.

_

* * *

__Yes…I'm going to leave it there for the time being. So…Aya and Juro finally meet. If you haven't already figured out who Juro is…then I'm sorry, but you, my dear readers, are much slower than I thought anyone could ever be. But, I'll give you a couple of clues in case you can figure it out. He's Sesshomaru's son (not adopted at all) and he's actually mentioned in the first chapter…hmm…I wonder where, though. hinthint But yeah, I was actually proud of this chapter. I was going to make it much longer…but I decided to just wait until the next chapter to put in the meeting of Aya and Sesshy…which is actually being rewritten a bit…Man, I just realized how crappy it would be to meet your father and never know it's him. (if you hadn't already figured that out either…I'm soooooooooo so so so so SO disappointed) Thank you to my reviewers for the other chapter, it was nice to get a few._

_But…it's time to get selfish…I don't think I'm going to post another chapter until my review count hits around 15...I don't think that's too many…I may lower it later…or I'll give in and just update anyways, but I may not…nudgenudge_

_Loves!_

_Artemis_

_**Kikyo61:** No, they're not twins, or else Aya would be around 16, but they are brother and sister. A lot more will be explained in the coming chapters, but I don't think until around chapter 4 or 5...I haven't written it yet._

_**AngelMaiden:** Please don't cry! I hate it when people cry! XD_

_**Sessishot2005:** Oh my god! You fucking rule! You're the first person that has told me that one of my stories "Fucking Rules" that's just too freaking awesome. _

_**Kagome21:** I promise, as long as I'm inspired…and if I'm not…I'll…umm…bang my head against something until I am. Is that okay:D_

_**Lass:** She didn't mean to leave her daughter alone…it was an accident! XP_

_**Thank you to**: XWiltedxxRosesX, Chelsea, and tasha600 for the encouragement. You guys are great._

_Oh yeah, and by the way, at this point in the story, there's not much action going on with Kagome and Aidan...and there won't be until after Aya meets with Sesshomaru. So, pretty much, look forward to more of them after chapter 3...maybe. And one of my friends brought it to my attention about Aidan and Kagome's language trade-off...he doesn't teach her everything about the languages, he'll just say something and teach her what it means in an off-handed sort of way...though that doesn't really have much to do with the plot line...my friend is just picky._


	3. Chapter 3

_**Never Forgotten**_

_**By the easily peeved: Artemis**_

_

* * *

_

**_Chapter Three_**

_

* * *

_"Wow." That was the only word that passed through Aya's lips when they arrived at the Western Castle. She gaped at the enormity of the structure in amazement while the boy next to her just looked on with no emotion. "You live here?" 

He nodded stoically as they passed the gate guards who bowed to him. "With my mother, father, and adopted sister." She began chewing on one of her fingernails, a nervous habit she had developed as a child.

Juro led her up a grand staircase that lay just inside the gargantuan front doors. Her head began spinning as she tried to remember all the passageways they went through.

He came to a stop before a shoji screen and tapped three times. "Enter." Said a deep voice from inside. He slid the screen open, stepped inside, the motioned for Aya to follow behind him.

"Reporting so soon, son?" The voice revealed no emotions, and she couldn't see the speaker due to Juro, who was standing directly in front of her.

"More of delivering something strange found in the forest, father." Aya sighed at the formality of the father-son conversation…was there no love in this family?

"Well? What is it?" Juro's hand clamped firmly around one of her wrists and he swiftly drew her in front of him. '_Oh my…' _She thought as she gazed upon the man in front of her. He was sitting behind a desk, and still managing to look as regal as an emperor. The only true thing distinguishing the difference between herself and this older man, was his blue crescent moon marking on his forehead and the magenta stripes on his cheeks.

"Your name?" He asked, snapping her from her contemplations.

"Aya. Aya Higurashi." She lifted her chin boldly and met his gaze, determined not to be intimidated. "I'm looking for my mother who went missing. Have you seen Kagome Higurashi around at all?" He looked at her with wide eyes, the first reaction she'd seen from either son or father, but then quickly retracted back behind his mask.

"Kagome Higurashi has been dead for thirteen years. You must be mistaken." He stated after clearing his throat. Aya's jaw dropped as she gaped at the older man, she seemed to be gaping a lot that day.

"No. Way!" She gathered her wits about her. "She has not! I saw her yesterday while I was having my birthday party, then she just vanished in the well house in a blue light." She began pacing as she rambled on about her journey before turning on him. "You must be the mistaken one. She's been with _me_ for the past thirteen years." She stopped and glared at him. "Who do you think you are, lying to a girl like that? This is no joke!"

"I am Lord Sesshomaru of the Western Lands." He responded with an air of superiority. Her eyes became the size of saucers as eh began to gape once again.

"No…that can't be…" She spluttered, shaking her head. "That means, they're all true. That means…_SHE LIED TO ME!_" She stomped her foot once on the floor before promptly fainting, landing with a thud.

_

* * *

_Juro looked at the girl at his feet before turning back to his father. "Who is Kagome Higurashi?" Sesshomaru winced lightly at the name, sending his son's mind into confusion. For the first time in his entire life, he saw the weariness in his father's face. "Father?" 

"I'll explain everything later. Take Aya to a guest room and let her sleep. I have something I need to do." Before completely leaving the room, he looked back at his son. "You should complete your surveillance."

Juro stared after his father in complete shock. A light snore shook him from his befuddlement. "What a pest…" He threw her over his shoulder and left his father's study, barking orders to a random servant along the way.

He dumped her unceremoniously onto a bed in a chamber and walked back out, determined to find his mother. He wanted to know precisely who this '_Kagome'_ was and why her name got that reaction out of his father. Surveillance be damned.

_

* * *

_"That's the western castle, we have to be very careful now." Kagome said in a low voice to the man beside her. Her happy-go-lucky normalcy had vanished due to unwanted memories and lack of sleep. All that was left was a very irate demon who had no time for petty complaints. 

Aidan realized the change in his friend when she had held him against a tree by his neck after he had joked around by saying she needed to work out more often. After that, he kept to himself to keep from invoking her wrath once again.

"I think I need water. I'm totally parched." He said, more to himself than to his companion. She pointed wearing to his left.

"Be careful." She hissed out, more to emphasize the warning than out of anger. Aidan winced anyways, then went to the stream nearby for a drink.

"She needs to lighten way up." He mumbled, taking another gulp of stream water. The water was chill, even in the dead of summer, and his dehydrated lips burned from the cold. With a sigh, he sat back on a flat boulder. "I just want to go back home. Jake's probably waiting up for me…" He whined childishly.

With a groan, he pulled himself up and went back to his friend for another night of silence.

_

* * *

_He placed the flowers he carried at the base of the stone structure before him. Still kneeling, he traced the words carven there. 

'_Lady Kagome'_

Sesshomaru pulled his hand back as if he had been burned, but no emotion was expressed on his face. Balling his fingers into a fist, he clenched his hand until he could feel the blood dripping from the gashes now there.

He only vaguely glanced at his palm before turning back to the shrine of the only woman he would, and could, ever love.

"That girl must be lying. My heart's been dead for over thirteen years." Slowly, he regained his feet and turned away, hoping the mini female clone of himself was awake. Sesshomaru needed answers, and that girl, Aya, was going to be the one to give them to him.

_

* * *

__Yo! I'm back! And as promised, I updated this beautiful chapter on this lovely warm Sunday…yes…I said warm. Texas weather sucks…earlier this week, the car door was frozen shut when I tried to open it to drive to school. It was around 20 degrees for about four days, and now it's somewhere in the 80s. Does that make sense to you? Because I've lived here all my life, and it still doesn't make sense to me… _

_You people are lucky, too. I was going to stop the chapter right before this last bit because I already have the other chapters written out on paper, but then it turned out to be way too short for my liking (I like each chapter to be AT LEAST 1000 words…) so I added that little part, though it was meant to be the beginning of the next chapter, but it added a little nicely. _

_I'm going to warn you all now, in a couple of weeks, I'm going to be gone. Therefore, I won't be able to update until the Tuesday I get back. This chapter isn't as well written as I would have liked it to be, but meh, what can ya do? I didn't have the time to go through and change EVERYTHING I wanted to change. I might go through and re-write it another time, but I'm way too lazy right now. I think I'm also going to do a little one-shot christmas special thing...it's kinda on the back burner right now though, but it will be, of course, Sess/Kag, and it will have a lot to do with christmas...still thinking on it though._

_So, Aya's met Sesshomaru and Juro is going to get Umi's view on Kagome in the next chapter. (yes, the next chapter is already written and just waiting to be typed up) This isn't going to be a very long lasting fic, maybe somewhere around ten chapters, but I'm also not completely sure, because it's not done being written. If you can guess what's wrong with Aidan, I will give you a kudos bar…because there **is** something that's going on with him. The scene I have written out with him that happens later is hilarious. I can't wait to get to it. _

_I'm demanding at least another 15 reviews for this chapter, I'm tired of seeing all these fics that just plain suck getting around 20 reviews per chapter, and it's starting to make me mad…on a serious level…So yeah, no more chapters until my review counter hits somewhere around 30. crosses arms_

_Loves!_

_Artemis_

**_Any questions that you want answered automatically, just email me. I'll respond almost automatically, and I just love emails. smile But don't just not review because I answer your question through email...then I'll have to hurt somebody..._**

_**Reviewer Responses:**_

_Kagome21: Yes, Juro is Aya's brother…and, do you ever get those lumps on your forehead from banging it too hard? _

_Drea-chan: Yes, I found that threatening not to update until my demands are met is very, very effective. I actually got one more review than I truly asked for…I'm so proud of my readers…pokes them Aren't they just adorable?_ .

_Kikyo61: Thank you…I love the fact that my story "fucking rules". Which makes you people "fucking awesome" in my book._ 8D

_Destiny's Destination: Juro is technically 16 and Aya just turned 13. So basically, 3 years (give or take a few months). The story behind everything should be cleared up soon…but I haven't gotten around to writing that part yet…the first person who learns will be Juro…and that's actually coming up within the next two chapters…_

_**Thank you to**: s0ymlk, tasha600, and DocBevCulver for the encouragement. _


	4. Chapter 4

_**Author's Note:**_

_I know! It's been a while, huh? I just got my new desktop computer set up, so now I can get online and everything whenever I want and not have to worry about anybody else bugging me! Yay! I just recently figured out that I had already written out quite a bit of this story, I just forgot. That's the main reason I haven't posted in a while, but that's all going to change now! I'm going to try to finish my stories within the next few months and actually attempt to get my others out that I never posted!_

_Anyways…here you go…_

_

* * *

_

_Never Forgotten_

_By a very late: Artemis_

_

* * *

_

_Chapter Four_

_

* * *

_"Mother!" Juro's voice echoed down empty corridor after empty corridor. He stalked through the halls in search of the woman that was rarely in sight of anyone, preferring to hole herself up in one room or another with the company of only her sake bottle and perhaps a guard or two. 

It disgusted him to no end the way his mother behaved so disrespectfully towards his father, but he could never fully hate her. She had given him life after all.

"Damnit…" He muttered to himself, not getting anywhere in his search. "MOTHER!" He snarled when he finally heard noises. How his father had ever lain with the unfaithful woman still boggled his brain. He tapped on the shoji screen, causing the breathless moans coming from inside to cease with a feminine growl.

"Go away, brat!" He scowled at her blatant disregard for loving motherhood, but he continued on.

"I need to talk to you. Put your clothes on and come out." He barked commandingly. He heard her huff before bustling about, and leaned against a wall to wait with his arms folded across his chest. She glared when she finally emerged from the room, smelling of alcohol and sex.

His nose scrunched of its own accord, offended by the smells. Deciding to ignore them like a good son, he proceeded to lead her down the hall and into an unused room.

"What do you want? I'm just a tad busy, so if you wouldn't mind speeding it up a bit, I would appreciate it immensely." She scoffed at her own request. Juro's lip twitched. No wonder his father never went anywhere with her.

"Who is Kagome Higurashi?" No point in holding off the inevitable, eh? The reaction was immediate and very noticeable. Umi's deep green eyes first widened, then deepened into the ugliest frown he'd ever seen on her face, and he'd seen some ugly ones.

"Where did you hear that evil witch's name?" She growled lowly, hatred dripping off every word said.

"Father, and some girl who claims to be her daughter." He answered after a moment's pause; the look on his mother's face was enough to make him gape in wonderment. Umi took a deep breath.

"She tried to seduce your father." She spat out in disgust, sinking into the pillows she had previously been kneeling on. "After changing from human to demon through bonding, she left him to find another demon lover. She just wanted to remain young and beautiful for a long time."

Juro digested the information. "Father said she died." He prompted for more answers. He watched her brows furrow in consideration.

"She did, about thirteen years ago. A dragon youkai charred her before my very eyes while a war was going on right in front of us." She stretched and got up to her feet. Raising an eyebrow, she stared at him. "If that is all, I'll be taking my leave." Juro nodded and got back to his feet.

'_Something's not right about that story._' His heart came to the conclusion. His mother's hatred for the woman was plain to the most oblivious of minds. The only other person that could give him answers to the veil of mysteries was on a visit to the village.

He wouldn't shirk his new responsibilities any longer, but he would pay a visit to his dear-to-heart sister, Rin…she would know this Kagome person, and if not her, then maybe one of her older friends would.

_

* * *

_Her head didn't move, but her eyes darted from side-to-side. She didn't have any clue as to where she was, and she had a goose egg on the back of her head. She could feel it every time she shifted slightly. 

Aya slowly lifted her head and sat up on the futon she occupied. The walls were unfamiliar to her, as was the small bed she was on. A door opening made her avert her attention from her surroundings to a woman standing in the doorway.

Green, bloodshot eyes glared at her and the stench of alcohol attacked her sense of smell. The woman took a step forward, stumbling slightly to the side. Green glared into gold. She dropped to be eye level with Aya, emitting a low growl.

"You do look like him…but you have her face." The lady grasped her chin with clawed hands, turning it harshly. "Ch. So she came back, huh?"

Aya stared at the psycho that was slowly but surely cutting lines into her face. Her mind was muddled. Nothing about this place made any sense to her. She gaped at the woman's next words.

"It's a pity that I have to hurt this pretty face of yours." Before the lady could lift the dagger in her clumsy palm, Aya jerked away and let out an ear-piercing scream.

_

* * *

_Every servant in the castle winced once the screaming began. Something was going on, but the question was, what? Some were annoyed while others were just down-right curious. 

Confusion escalated when their Taiyoukai darted past everyone in a flash of white. Not but two seconds later, everything was silent once more and the servants went back to their daily chores.

_

* * *

_It didn't take as long as she figured it would to get near the village, at least another couple of hours would be enough. The dormant butterflies in her stomach came alive with vigor. She hadn't seen her friends in over ten years. The very thought of seeing them again made her eager with anticipation and excitement. 

"This'll be good for me." She muttered in a chant-like way. Convincing herself of it proved to be another challenge entirely.

_

* * *

__**Author's note:**_

_Okay, so I left it at a cliffy…get over it. Next chapter should be out by next week, if I get at least ten or fifteen reviews. I am working my butt off for you guys, so what does it hurt to just press that little violet/periwinkle (depending on what color you see it as) button and sending me a nice message saying how much you liked the story? Or even tell me if I screwed up somewhere, I don't care! Much love y'all, see ya soon!_

_Artee_


	5. Chapter 5

_Never Forgotten_

_By the always lazy: Artemis_

_

* * *

_

_Chapter 5_

_

* * *

_It didn't take him very much time getting to his destination, longer than normal considering he did have to check the surrounding land. The hut his sister was always in was located near the center of the small village. 

Today wasn't much different than normal. When he pulled aside the straw-mat door, his sister sat in the middle of the first room with the former monk, Miroku, and his wife, Sango. Rin looked up at him with a kind, surprised smile.

"Juro. Father sent you to get me so soon?" She asked in her sweet care-free way. She had just celebrated her 24th year of birth, making her eight years his senior. He allowed a small smile before completely crossing the threshold of the home.

"No. Father's busy at the moment, but I have questions I need answered." Rin patted the spot next to her, wanting him to sit next to her when the questions began flying. He took his spot and breathed out some of his tension. "I found a girl in the forest who claims to be the daughter of Kagome Higurashi, but father said she's been dead for a long time." He looked around at the audience. They all gaped at him with the same wide-eyes.

"Kagome's daughter?" Sango strangled out, her jaw barely attached to her skull. Miroku grabbed her hand and squeezed it.

Why did everyone react so amazed to this woman's name? "Her name's Aya, and she said that her mother went missing a day or two ago before I found her." He paused to let the information soak in slightly. "Mother told me that Kagome was an evil human who seduced father in order to become a demon."

Rin scowled, a rare expression that hardly ever marred her features. Sango barked out, "Don't believe her." Anger was laced through her words.

Juro stared for a moment before getting to the point. "Who is she? She must be very important to get these sorts of responses." Sango opened her mouth to respond, but was stopped by someone entering of home uninvited.

"Sango…oh!" Juro turned in his seat to see a woman with long raven hair and stormy grey eyes standing in the entryway. She launched herself at Sango with a cry of happiness.

"Ka-Ka-Kagome?!" Both women sat up quickly and stared at each other. "You-they-he said you were dead!"

Juro swallowed the lump in his throat. So, this was the mystery woman. Aya wasn't lying after all, and he had the haunting suspicion he had seen her before. Those grey eyes brought on unbidden memories he had forgotten.

He…remembered her from when he was five years old, when his mother had sent her away from the castle with an evil cackle that wouldn't stop ringing in his ears.

Those beautiful grey eyes turned on him and widened. "Oh, Juro…" She murmured, tears gathering in the corners. "You're here…of all places." She smiled warmly, like nothing he'd ever seen before. Not even his own mother smiled that way towards him.

Sango took the woman's attention once again. "Kagome, where've you been?" We all thought you were dead. She said, eyes filling with tears. They held hands with sisterly affection.

"I've been in my time." Kagome finally looked at the other occupants, landing on Rin, who was gaping with wide teary eyes and an open mouth. "Rin…" She opened her arms and Ring launched herself into the embrace.

"Momma!" She cried, taking Juro by complete surprise. "I knew she was lying! I just knew it!" Kagome smiled sorrowfully while rubbing the younger girl's back.

"I'm sorry, sweetheart. I should've said goodbye. Gods know I tried." She whispered, her eyes closing to hold back the tears. Juro finally found his voice.

"Aya's been looking for you. Turns out she wasn't lying." He stated, quickly capturing the woman's attention.

"Aya's here? Where?" The questions tumbled from Kagome's lips in a rush that made his head spin. She stopped suddenly and looked at him more closely, as if finally seeing everything about him. "You look so much like him…" She placed a small hand on his cheek, her eyes scanning everything about him with a hurt deep inside them. "You're so grown up." A sob escaped her lips before she threw herself at him, hugging the life right from his body. "And I missed it all…"

"Woman, let go of me. I know not why you are here or what your connection is to my family, but you are destroying the peace my father has worked hard to ensure." He felt her stiffen, then pull away, eyes averted to the ground.

"Juro! How dare you?!" Rin placed her hands on her hips angrily. "How can you talk to your mo—" She was cut off when Kagome placed a hand on her shoulder.

"He doesn't know nor understand. It's fine, really." She muttered into the young woman's ear. She turned back to Juro. "If you could bring Aya to me, I would greatly appreciate it." Her hopes fell once he shook his head.

"Father is not letting the girl out of the castle. You'll have to fetch her yourself.

"Fine. Aidan, come along. We'll figure the well problem out when I finish fetching my daughter." Everyone then noticed the young man that had accompanied their dear friend. Rin grasped Kagome's hand and pulled her out of the hut, towards the one place she had been trying to avoid on her journey.

_

* * *

_"Umi." Sesshomaru's voice was deep and threatening as he gazed upon the two women before him. Umi backed up a step or two from the small girl that had huddled herself into a corner. "Drop it and step away…Now!" To emphasize his statement, he let loose a low menacing growl. 

"She's that evil woman's child." Umi muttered darkly, still glaring coldly at Aya.

"The only evil in that woman is that she is gone. I'll hear no more of it." His stoic tone did nothing to betray his emotions. "Until we understand the meaning of why she's here, you'll not lay a hand on the girl. I'll not hesitate to kill you next time."

The woman, Umi, walked from the room without another words, leaving them alone. He kneeled before the trembling Aya. "Tell me." He started, catching her attention. "You said she lied to you. Tell me."

Aya leaned against the wall behind her, willing her body to stop shaking. "She always told me bedtime stories about a human and demon falling in love." She paused to clear her throat. "The human miko fell for the great demon lord, Sesshomaru, by a chance of fate, but a terrible war was being fought, driving the two apart for some time." Sesshomaru closed his eyes as images came to mind to match with the young girl's words. "What he didn't know was that she was in a delicate condition. They didn't see each other for five days, and the pregnant miko was trapped in a cave with a deceptive woman who pretended to be her mate's most trusted ally.

"She was convinced into thinking her beloved mat had been taken as a prisoner and her son would be destroyed unless she left the lands and never returned.

"She waited another day before leaving the cave and traveling away to her original home. When she found out she had been betrayed, she prepared to fight the deceiver for what was hers. Her home, her family, and her mate.

"The deceiver turned her away, already turning everyone against her, even the miko's own son. Deeply hurt, the miko returned to her home and her new baby girl, hoping to move on since she would never see the man she'd given her heart to again."

Sesshomaru tired to swallow, but his mouth felt completely dry, as if he'd gone days without water.

"Who was she?" Aya asked him suddenly. You could say she was oblivious, but that would be an incorrect assumption. Umi had made it painfully obvious how completely stupid she had been, and now, she wanted to hear it from him. He quirked an eyebrow in question. "Well, you're the demon from the story, so who was the miko…?"

_

* * *

So…it's been a while, huh? Well, for all of those who may hate my writing style, it shall be changing very soon. I wrote most of this over a year ago, and from this point on…it'll all be coming out of me fresh. Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, sorry it took a while. But I'll be moving out within the next five months as well as getting married, so I want to tie up some loose ends before I go without internet for a while (because I know we probably won't be able to afford it). Ya'll should feel loved. _

_Artee_


End file.
